Chocolate Glazed Yeast Donuts Made with Fresh Milled Flour
Soft yeast donuts made with fresh milled flour and fried until golden, then dipped in rich chocolate glaze. A classic from-scratch donut recipe using wholesome freshly milled grain.
There’s something nostalgic about making yeast-raised donuts from scratch, especially when they’re fried until golden and dipped in a rich chocolate glaze. Using fresh milled flour gives these donuts a soft, tender texture and deep flavor you just can’t get from store-bought mixes.
They’re a fun, hands-on baking project that feels special without being complicated—perfect for slow mornings, celebrations, or an old-fashioned homemade treat.
These chocolate glazed yeast donuts made with fresh milled flour are the kind of thing that remind you why learning to make food from scratch can be such a huge win for the home. Not because it’s perfect or fancy—but because it’s real, warm, and shared.
If you’re new to donuts, new to yeast donuts, or new to fresh milled flour, this is a gentle place to start. We’re not chasing bakery perfection here. We’re learning, practicing, and discovering that making the best donuts at home doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. It’s about rhythm, not rushing. And maybe a few donut holes sneaked straight off the wire rack while no one’s looking.
Chocolate Glazed Yeast Donuts Made with Fresh Milled Flour
There’s something extra special about yeast donuts. Unlike a cake donut, which comes together quickly, yeast donuts ask you to slow down just a bit—wait for the dough, trust the process, and let time do some of the work. And when you pair that with fresh milled flour, the result is a soft texture and depth of flavor that really wakes up your taste buds.
Fresh milled flour brings so much more nutritional value than white flour or even most store-bought bread flours. Milling your own flour—whether you’re using hard white wheat, soft white wheat, or a blend—keeps the whole grain intact, which makes these whole wheat donuts feel like a healthier option without sacrificing joy—that’s the kind of baking I’ll take any day, especially for my family. Check out my Quick Start Guide for a gentle walk through milling your own flour.
Yes, there can be an extra cost when you first start milling your own flour, especially if you invest in a grain mill like the Nutrimill, my personal favorite. But longer term storage of wheat berries, the ability to make your own flour whenever you need it, and skipping purpose flour altogether often evens that out. Plus, knowing exactly what’s in your donut recipes is worth it.
Why Make Donuts with Fresh Milled Flour
If you’ve ever thought, “I could never make donuts at home,” I want to gently challenge that. Yeast donuts made with fresh milled flour aren’t complicated—they’re just unfamiliar. And unfamiliar doesn’t mean impossible. Believe me, I know!
Fresh milled flour creates a slightly denser texture than highly refined flour, but in the best way. These donuts fry up golden brown, stay tender inside, and hold onto that rich chocolate glaze beautifully. The whole grain flavor adds a depth you just don’t get from store mixes or even many bakery donuts.
And let’s be honest—watching your kids realize you made donuts from your own flour? That’s a memory worth keeping. My kids were thoroughly impressed!
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Best Grains for Fresh Milled Donuts
When it comes to whole wheat donuts, grain choice matters. For this recipe, you have a few great options:
- Hard white wheat for a mild flavor and soft crumb
- A mix of hard red & hard white, which is what I used, for balance
- A blend of Kamut (Khorasan) and hard white for a buttery finish
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list in the recipe card below, but what matters most here is how the ingredients work together.
- Fresh milled flour provides structure and whole grain goodness.
- Honey adds sweetness and moisture.
- Oil keeps the donuts soft.
- And the chocolate glaze—made with powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla extract, and cream—brings it all home.
You can find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Donuts with Fresh Milled Flour
Mill the Flour—Start by milling your wheat berries fresh. For accuracy, mill enough grain to yield the flour you need. This recipe calls for 4 1/2 cups of fresh milled flour. In order to get the correct amount of flour you can mill about 3 cups of wheat berries. Printing my free fresh milled flour conversion chart and placing it by your grain mill will help as you’re milling.
Mix the Dough—In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the wet ingredients first. Then add the fresh milled flour, lecithin, and yeast. Knead on low speed until the dough becomes smooth and elastic—about 5–7 minutes. You’re looking for dough that’s soft, not sticky.
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First Rise—Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled. This first rise usually takes 1–2 hours depending on your kitchen temperature.
Roll & Cut—Once risen, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ½ inch thick. Use a donut cutter (or even a cookie cutter if that’s what you have) to cut the donuts. This is where it starts to feel real.
Second Rise—Place the donuts on a greased baking sheet, cover gently, and let them rise again for about 45 minutes. This second rise helps create that soft interior we are after.
Fry the Donuts—Heat your oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven until it reaches temperature. Carefully lower the donuts into the hot oil, frying each side for a couple of minutes until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove them and place them on a wire rack lined with a paper towel underneath to catch excess oil. Don’t forget the donut holes—they fry fast and disappear even faster.
How to Make Chocolate Glaze for Donuts
In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add vanilla extract and just enough cream to make a smooth, pourable glaze. Once the donuts are cool enough to handle, dip them into the glaze and return them to the wire rack to set. If you’re feeling fancy, you can even use a piping bag for drizzle details.
I love that this glaze recipe can be tweaked for different likings. I mean, if you know my kids, you know that everyone has different donut preferences! This glaze can easily be made from chocolate to strawberry to cinnamon!
Tips for Perfect Yeast Donuts
- Let your ingredients come to room temperature before mixing
- Don’t rush the rise—yeast donuts need time
- Keep oil temperature steady to avoid greasy donuts
- Store leftover donuts in an airtight container for short-term freshness
If you end up with excess donuts (rare, but it happens), they reheat well in a toaster oven or air fry for a few minutes.
Variations
- Vanilla glaze—use the same recipe for the glaze above just skip cocoa
- Cinnamon sugar—1 cup of sugar+ 2 tsp cinnamon
- Strawberry glaze—similar to the chocolate glaze: powered sugar, pureed strawberries instead of the heavy cream, vanilla, skip the cocoa,
- Add some sprinkles, coconut flakes, nuts, or mini chocolate chips for extra crunch
Recipe FAQs
This recipe is designed for frying, but you can experiment if you’d like.
Haha! I like to think so! With whole grain, fresh milled flour, they offer better nutritional value and fewer additives—always a win in my opinion!
More Fresh Milled Recipes
If you love this recipe, you’ll enjoy exploring more from-scratch baking ideas here. This space is about progress, not perfection. Whether you’re a fresh milled mama just starting out or someone who’s been baking whole grain for years, you belong in this space!
- One Bowl Fresh Milled Chocolate Cake
- Fresh Milled Flour Benefits, FAQ’s, and How to Bake with It
- How to Make Fresh Milled Waffles
Every loaf, every donut, every attempt counts—and you’re doing such a good job learning right where you are.
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If you make this recipe, please leave a rating on the recipe card below! I’d also love for you to tag me @autumn.chasingoursimple on Instagram so I can see what you’ve been baking!
Chocolate Glazed Yeast Donuts Made with Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
- 1½ cup hot water
- ⅓ cup avocado or olive oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp salt
- 4½ cup freshly milled flour
- 2 tbsp sunflower lecithin
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 24 oz oil for frying
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3-4 tbsp heavy cream or milk
Instructions
Mill Flour
- This recipe calls for 4 1/2 cups of fresh milled flour. In order to get the correct amount of flour you can mill about 3 cups of wheat berries. Printing my free fresh milled flour conversion chart and placing it by your grain mill will help as you're milling.
Mix the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine water, oil, honey, egg, and salt
- Then add fresh milled flour, lecithin, and yeast. Knead on low until smooth and elastic. This usually takes about 5 minutes.
First Rise
- Cover the dough and allow it to rise until doubled.
Roll and Cut
- Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick and use a donut cutter to cut the doughnuts.
Second Rise
- Place donuts on a greased baking sheet and cover with a towel. Allow about 45 minutes for the second rise.
Fry Donuts
- Prepare to fry the donuts by pouring the oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Heat the oil to 350°F.
- Carefully place 2-3 donuts in the oil at a time based on the size of your frying vessel.
- Fry each side for about 30 second or until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the donuts from the oil, and transfer them to a wire rack to drain the excess oil. Don't forget to fry the donut holes. These fry quickly!
Glaze
- Prepare the chocolate glaze by adding powdered sugar and cocoa to a large bowl. Combine and then add vanilla and enough heavy cream to make a thin glaze.
- Once the donuts have cooled enough to handle, dip each one in the glaze and place it back on the wire rack to harden.
